


The Savior

by Daydreamer4ever



Series: Antics [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Captain Swan - Freeform, Emma discovers her powers, F/M, Liam is the bomb diggity, Lieutenant Duckling, Love, and Killian and Emma are blind fools, angsty fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 21:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4321770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydreamer4ever/pseuds/Daydreamer4ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Antics. Takes place eight years after Antics. Emma is seventeen and dreams of living somewhere other than The Jewel of the Realm. Her best friend, Killian, can't imagine a life without it. But no matter where she goes, it's only a matter of time before her destiny catches up with her. Multi-chapter, AU LD.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Happy Birthday, Swan

**A/N: Hello, and welcome to my story! For those of you who are new here, welcome! For those of you who know me already, you can just skip ahead. Newbies- This story is a sequel to my other AU story, Antics. This one can stand alone, but I highly recommend you check it out, because a lot happens there which affects what happens in this story.  
Just going to warn y'all now, updates will be rather staggered with this story, and I'm sorry for that, but I promise this is at the top of my priorities list. This story takes place about eight years after the end of Antics, and not much has happened since. They've just been sailing around the realms as a happy little delivery family, getting into mischief wherever they go. I have some one-shots planned for that, don't you worry.**

**Enjoy!**

**~Caitlyn**

* * *

Emma leaned against the polished edge of the ship's railing, staring out at the ocean. The sun reflected off the restless blue waters, scattering reflective light across the waves like diamonds. It was beautiful, yes, however, she'd seen it all before. The girl sighed dejectedly, leaning her face on her cupped palm. They'd left the realm of "England" a few days ago, and already she was missing it. Not the realm itself, no. She was missing land.

Before Emma could fall any deeper into thought, a shoulder bumped hers, and she looked up to see Killian standing next to her. He smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling like the very sea she'd been berating not a moment ago, but she couldn't help but smile back at her friend. He turned to look out at the vast stretch of ocean laid out before them, breathing deeply, completely at ease. "So, brooding, are we?" He asked her playfully, his eyes still on the water.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Not  _brooding_. Well, not exactly. I was simply thinking."

"Thinking  _about_?" He pressed.

"Nothing of importance." She said breezily, and he turned to her with raised his eyebrows.

"Alright…" She could sense his confusion- usually, she was open to him about everything. But not this. He wouldn't understand it- he loved everything about the sea and sailing. If she had to listen to him talk about wavelengths and the mystique of currents one more time, she'd throw a chair at him-  _again_. "Anyway," He said, changing the subject easily. "I have something for you." With a flourish and a bow, he procured a small, red box from his pocket. It was rather thin, and about the size of his hand. The bow was simple, in gold-colored string, but it glistened and shone in the sun as though is was made of fairy dust. "Happy Birthday, Emma."

She gasped, looking from the box to Killian. "Oh, Killian."

"You didn't think I would forget your seventeenth birthday, did you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows in question.

"No, I just- Oh, I don't know." She shrugged, at a loss for words. It wasn't as though he'd never given her a gift before- of course he did- it was usually a joint gift with Liam, and typically had something to do with chocolate.

He laughed at her confusion, placing the present in her hands. "No matter, I  _did_  in fact remember, and would be very happy if you opened your gift."

She smiled at him before turning her attention to the beautiful box. She carefully undid the string, and lifted the top. She breathed out an astonished sigh, and lifted the silver necklace from its resting place. The polished silver swan charm dangled from the chain, shining in the bright midday sun like a star. "Killian, I- I don't know what to say." She managed, still staring.

Her best friend shrugged. "A thank you would suffice." He suggested, and her wide, green eyes landed on him.

"Thank you." She said, her voice thick with emotion. "Now help me put this on." She commanded, snapping back to herself. Emma handed him the necklace and gathered her hair up and pulled it away from the back of her neck. Killian unclasped the chain and reached around her, leaning in so close she could smell him. He smelled like sea and cookies and  _home_. She closed her eyes as she breathed in, and didn't realize he'd successfully clasped the necklace until she felt his hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"Beautiful." He stated. She smiled down at the charm. It really was.

She straightened up, and linked arms with Killian. "Thank you, good sir. Now let's go find some food."

He laughed cheerily as she pulled him down the stairs with her, and the sound resounded in her ears. Her happy, simple life upon the Jewel of the Realm. What could she possibly be missing?

That night, her birthday was celebrated with cookies, cakes and jokes around the table. The crew, Liam, and Killian all crowded around Emma and sang happy birthday to her. The off-key, slightly drunken way they sang made her laugh in a self-conscious sort of way before she blew out the candles, and then eagerly cut into the confection. It was, of course, delicious, thanks to the wonderful cook, though she didn't get to eat too much of it- as sharing your birthday cake with a crew of burly, hungry sailors is much like sharing your birthday cake with an elephant. A normal slice for the elephant is about four times the size of a normal slice for you. Suffice to say, the cake was gone far too quickly, dishes were cleared, and finally, the little party was over.

Slowly, the sailors drifted off to their respective bunks, leaving two Joneses and a Swan at the table, their faces just barely illuminated by the flickering glow of the single remaining candle on the table.

Liam leaned forward, a content smile resting on his face. Across the table, Emma and Killian were battling for the last cookie. Killian had it in his hand, holding the treat high above both of their heads, and Emma was trying to reach it, though her arms were shorter than her counterparts'. Finally, she jumped up out of her seat and snatched the cookie clean out of his hand.

"It's hard to believe you're seventeen," Liam chuckled, and the pair jumped in surprise, as though they had forgotten he was even there. "But here you are."Emma smiled, bashful, and turned her attention to the cookie in her hands.

Killian smirked and bumped Emma with his elbow. "Yeah, you still act like you're five years old." He took the half of her cookie she was offering and chewed slowly, trying to savor the last of the treat.

Liam raised his eyebrow. "Coming from you, that doesn't mean too much." A laugh escaped from Emma's lips, and Killian stared at the both of them in mock shock, for he knew it to be true. "Now, Emma, you're far more mature than my brother here, even if you are a year younger. Happy Birthday." He slid a rolled up piece of paper that was tied with a simple bow across the scarred wooden table toward her, a hopeful smile on his face.

Emma furrowed her brow at Liam before looking back to the paper. Slowly, she undid the bow and spread it open. "It's a map." She said flatly. Honestly, she was confused and rather disappointed. All she did for her first year aboard this ship was study maps. Why was Liam giving her one now?

The captain simply grinned. "So it is. But that is not my true gift. My true gift is anywhere. Wherever you desire to go. That map covers every realm we've ever explored, every place that has been discovered. It's all there. Wherever you wish to travel, that is where we shall be."

Emma took a deep breath. "Anywhere?"

"If we can sail there. I don't have any other means of transportation. I worked out a deal with the kingdom we're delivering for next. I informed the king we would be taking a few… vacation days. And in that time, we are free to go wherever you like." Liam sounded rather pleased, and Emma looked up from the map of the vast oceans and lands to see him positively beaming.

"I… Oh, thank you, Liam!" She threw her arms around him. Taken aback, the older man paused for a minute before wrapping his arms around the girl. The rare gesture of a hug from Emma was a rather meaningful one, and Emma knew this as she pulled away. "Oh, goodness, where to go?" She whispered, looking back at the map. "Could I think about it tonight, and then decide tomorrow?" She asked, suddenly anxious. Such an important decision to make- surely she couldn't be expected to make in on a moment's notice. Liam nodded amicably, as though he'd completely expected this.

"Of course. Good night, Emma."

"Night, Liam. C'mon, Killian!" She grabbed her best friend's hand and practically dragged the sleepy boy out of the room, chattering excitedly about all the places they could visit, which kingdoms had the best dragons versus which towns had the best swordsmiths (she loved swords). Killian nodded, though he was so tired, he was only half listening.

"… But the fire-breathers are the best, aren't they?" Emma finished as they reached their door.

Killian blinked before he realized she was addressing him. "Oh, yeah. Abso-" He cut himself off with an involuntary yawn. "Sorry, Emma. Just tired."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Right." She slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. Killian slumped against it, waiting for her to tap the door once she was in her nightclothes, so he could crawl into his bed and fall into well-earned dreams. His eyes practically weighed one thousand pounds by the time Emma's knock came, and he stumbled in, not even bothering to kick off his boots before he landed face down on his bunk, sinking into the bed like an anchor. A very sleepy, messy-haired anchor.

"Oh, Killian." Emma murmured, and he heard her cross the room to his side. He felt her working one of his boots off, then the next, and finally felt her pull the blanket over him, patting the back of his head. "Good night."

"Hhhf." He said through a mouthful of pillow. The blonde laughed lightly before crawling into her own bed, a smile on her face.

Emma stared at the ceiling, completely content. Though she had started out the day feeling rather gloomy, Killian and Liam managed to effortlessly cheer her up- as usual. With the Joneses, ever since Liam had promised things would change, she'd never felt alone or forgotten. They were her family, and she was theirs.  _For always_. She thought, before surrendering her mind to sleep.

_Emma_. Killian blinked awake in the dark. He looked around. It was definitely night- the silver sliver of the moon, surrounded by the countless stars told him that much. But why was he awake? He hadn't woken up like this in years. After Emma stopped having nightmares all those years ago, he'd stopped needing to.

_Emma,_  something in his mind said again, and he turned his senses toward the other side of the small room, where the girl in question was shrouded in shadow. Then, he heard slight whimpering, followed by some thrashing. The tiny whimpers soon escalated to full-out cries, and Kilian instinctively leapt out of bed and grabbed her hand, ready to chase the night terrors out of her head, but still she cried and kicked with all of her might. "Please Emma," Killian whispered desperately, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up."

Apparently, she wasn't interested in taking his advice (typical), and continued to battle in her dreams.

"Oh, bloody hell." Killian muttered. He pushed her over in the tiny bed and crawled in next to her, trying to ignore the pain in his leg from where she was kicking him over and over. He wrapped his arms around her thrashing form, and waited for her movements to slow, until finally she stopped struggling and crying. She slowly relaxed into him as though it were the most natural thing for him to be there, trying to fit with her on the tiny cot. As he tried to pull away, she snuggled up against him- actual snuggling. This from the girl who had single-handedly beaten all the crew in a mock swordplay duel- twice.

Ignoring the shooting pain in his leg, the tingling in his arm that was falling asleep and the exhaustion that was draping itself over Killian like a heavy curtain, he let one thought flash itself in his mind before he reburied it, safely in the depths and curves of his memory.  _I love her_.

It was always her, impossible, beautiful Emma. For him, it had never been anyone else. How could there be?

She sighed in her sleep, as if the nightmare had never happened, and he felt her breath, warm on their intertwined hands. Somewhere, something in the back of his mind told him to go back to his own bed, now that Emma was okay. Naturally, he ignored it, and fell asleep to the soothing rhythm of her breathing as they sailed through the night.

* * *

**Awww, Killy's in love! In this story, he's eighteen- about a year and a half older than Emma.**

**Question: Cupcakes or full cakes?**

**For those of you who have read my story on FF.net, do I have a surprise for you! After this chapter, the story is going to deviate from what I wrote before. At the request of a little girl (and myself), I'm doing a complete rewrite of The Savior. There's going to be more, swordfights, more magic, and a hell of a lot more romance. For those of you who haven't read The Savior yet? Well, I hope you're excited for what's about to come.**

**It's going to be epic.**

**BYENOW!**


	2. Time Faces Strange Changes

**A/N: So... It's been a while, hasn't it? I know I promised tons of new chapters this summer, and I know it's already August, but I seriously underestimated how much energy my summer job demanded. Now that that's over, I can focus on this little story here! Like I said, this story is going to differ from my other version, but it's highly likely I'll be borrowing many pieces from it, like the beginning of this chapter, for instance. As an apology for taking so long to update, I wrote you a lovely 2,300 word chapter. Just for giggles.**

**Enjoy!**

**~Caitlyn**

* * *

 

Waking up was not among Emma Swan's favorite activities. Waking up meant leaving her dreams, which were usually nothing very exciting, but pleasant nonetheless. When she was younger, however, she got very little sleep, always being scared awake by her own nightmares. Sleep had been her enemy. Then Killian came into her world, and somehow, having him there chased away the monsters and left her dreams safe and sound. And because of that, she now detested the groggy feeling she had when she returned to consciousness from her dreams.

Hmm. This morning, she felt warmer than she'd expected. Normally, the autumn chill always managed to seep into their room and nip at her hands and feet, causing the girl to awaken, shivering and chilled to the bone, but this morning, Emma felt really, really warm. She smiled, snuggling into whatever was keeping her warm until she felt it. Him. Arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to his chest. Instantly, she stiffened, and rolled over to find a sleeping Killian Jones, curled up next to her, in her bed, casual as could be. With a start, she sat up, drawing her covers around herself protectively- as if he were some sort of enemy who could be fended off by a few layers of cotton bedding, and not her best friend.

Killian began to stir, probably roused by the sudden chill he'd felt when Emma leapt away from him, and blinked sleepily for a few moments, before having the decency to look somewhat confused. Then his sleep-glazed gaze landed on Emma, and his eyes popped open wide, suddenly clear.

"Oh, gods, Emma, this isn't what- I mean, you probably think- Look, you were having a nightmare, okay? And I tried to calm you down, but you were kicking like a wild animal, so I did what I did when we were kids, I hugged you and you calmed down and I must have fallen asleep…" His anxious babble trailed off, and an uncomfortable silence filled the air for a few long, painful moments. "You haven't had such a nightmare in years, Emma." He finally said, his voice much quieter, filled with concern. "What on earth were you dreaming about?"

Emma opened her mouth to say what she had almost always told him, that it was nothing, just monsters, or falling from the sky, which it usually was, but then the memory of the nightmare slammed into her, full force, and she faltered a bit as the images filled her mind with stunning clarity, as if it were happing at that very moment, all over again.

"You'll tell me how no matter what." A woman's cold, cruel voice filled the air, making the hairs on the back of Emma's neck prickle uncomfortably. She whirled to find its owner. The woman was beautiful in a terrifying way, darkness and power radiating off her being in heavy waves. Her outfit was no more pacifying than her demeanor. The dress was black as an abyss, hugging her curves from her breasts to her hips, and then simply falling to the floor, as though too exhausted to continue to conform to the rest of her body. The neckline, hem, and anything with an edge was embroidered with rubies the color of fresh blood. They were cut in such a way that Emma would have had a difficult time deciding whether this woman was actually injured and bleeding or not- had it not been for her angry, determined expression she wore under a mountain of ebony-colored hair (How much black could one person pull off?), which was twisted into an elaborate beehive of sorts. The woman flicked her hand, and vines sprang up from the cold stone floors, instantly wrapping around Emma, eager to constrict her, to choke the air from her lungs.

"What do you want?" Emma cried, struggling in vain against her bonds, which in response only tightened. It was getting difficult to breathe- was this lady seriously trying to murder her?

The woman laughed mirthlessly. "You know exactly what I want, Emma Swan." She sneered her name, as though it carried some sort of unwanted disease. "But if you need a little shove, I'll be more than happy to comply."

A corner of the shadowy room suddenly became illuminated, and there sat Killian. Emma would have been thrilled at the sight of her friend- had he not been bound and gagged. He looked awful, with deep purple bags under his eyes and the half-crazed look of someone who was, and had been, extremely terrified for a very long time. He tried to scream something, but the gag in his mouth was making that a rather impossible. Emma tried to move towards him, but her vine-prison kept her, quite literally, rooted to the spot.

"One last chance, Miss Swan," The woman taunted.

Tears were streaming down her face as she continued to struggle, to get to Killian. "I don't know what you want!" Emma screamed, the desperation in her voice clear and raw. "Please, please let him go, let both of us go!"

The woman in black simply tsked. "Pity. I was so desperately hoping you could get out of this with your boyfriend," she said in a voice that made Emma doubt the sincerity of her words. "But, I have a feeling you and he will be leaving in a more… permanent way. Say goodbye." A ball of flame erupted in the woman's hand. Slowly, for dramatics, she turned toward Killian, whose eyes widened.

"Killian!" Emma screamed, straining as hard as she could. The woman smiled, as if Emma's pain caused her great joy, and let the fire fly through the air. Just before the flame hit her best friend though, everything went black. And with that, her nightmare was over.

"Emma!" Emma blinked in surprise. Killian was shaking her shoulder, staring into her eyes. The terror in his own irises reflected that of her dreams', and she feared for a moment that she was still in that terrible, terrible nightmare. Then she heard the gentle wash of waves pushing up against the creaking wood of the ship and relaxed. She was safe.

Naturally, she said the first stupid thing that popped into her head. "Killian, your eyes are going to fall out if you keep them that wide."

He shook his head, not acknowledging her comment. "Emma, you went into this trance. For a few seconds, you just froze, and it was like you couldn't see or hear anything. Gods, you scared me." He breathed, pulling her into a rib-cracking hug.

She reciprocated, wrapping her arms around her best friend. The image of him, terrified and tied up seemed to be burned against her eyelids, and she spread her fingers across his back, as though to ensure he was really there, with her.

They stayed like that for a while, clinging to each other. Emma closed her eyes, listening to Killian's steady breathing, and was almost able to convince herself that it was just the two of them again, with no worries or cares in their world. But instead of the diverse, fragrant scent of dirt and wildflowers, she smelled wood and salt water. Instead of the buzz of insects and the songs of birds, all Emma could hear was the endless chatter of the water rushing past them, constant and steady. But Killian was there. And Killian was, to her at least, all she needed.

Emma pulled away reluctantly, glancing out the single, tiny window across the room. "We should head up, now. Liam probably wants to know where we're going," She slipped out of bed and picked up the rolled-up map on her desk. "There are so many amazing places to go…" She murmured half to herself. Focusing on the map, she did her best to push the leftover terror she still felt out of her mind.

The rustling of clothes vaguely alerted Emma that Killian was changing, but she told herself she didn't care. She told herself that even if she did leave him alone for five minutes, he wouldn't vanish and end up bloody and bruised in a strange, cruel witch's dungeon. That would be ridiculous. But she stayed in the room anyway, and he didn't seem to mind, silently coming up behind her once he was in fresh clothes, gazing at the map along with her.

"I think… I think I'd like to go to China, in Misthaven. You've heard the tales of Mulan, right?" Emma turned to Killian.

He nodded, a half smile on his face, and she wished she could erase the concern that still lingered in his eyes. "The woman who saved all of China? Who hasn't heard of her?"

She nodded, feeling excited. "Imagine, meeting her! According to Will, she's at training camp right now, training new recruits as we speak! Imagine, being able to work with Mulan… I have to go tell Liam!" She exclaimed, throwing upon their door to run up on deck.

"Emma!" Killian called, and she skidded to a halt just outside their door, shooting him a questioning glare. He pointed at her nightdress. "I know the crew's used to you, Emma, but I still suggest you don't let them get that used to you."

Her cheeks flushed as she hurried back inside. "Oh. Right. I'll, uh. Yeah. Clothes." She awkwardly stammered, rifling through their shared wardrobe to find a suitable outfit, while Killian sat on the edge of her bed, staring determinedly down at the floorboards. A couple of minutes later, she was ready to go, and the pair calmly made their way outside, to where Liam was manning the helm.

"We, well, I've decided." She informed him perkily. "China. In Misthaven. It's not far from where we are, and I've heard rumors that Mulan herself is training recruits there right now." She looked up at Liam, her eyes wide. "Can we please go?"

Liam smiled. "Of course, Emma. And you needn't use the puppy dog eyes- when I said anywhere, I meant it." He chuckled and took back the map, mentally plotting their course. "Gentlemen!" He shouted to the crew. "We're going to China!"

The crew whooped and suddenly the deck was alive with sailors, hoisting sails and yanking ropes. Emma knew her place among them, and joined Will, a burly young man who was well on his way to being first mate, in securing the main sail. "China, Miss Swan?" Will asked, giving their rope another yank. "Good choice. I love rice."

"You also love spaghetti, and steak, and beans and half of my birthday cake. Come to think of it, you love all foods!" Emma teased, letting will finish the knot she was failing to tie.

"Well, any food is good food." He admitted, and the pair turned to watch the rest of the ship work, the deck shining in the sunlight. "How's that rascal friend of yours?"

"Killian's fine, Will. The crab thing was two months ago, and it wasn't that bad."

The large man let out a loud, hearty laugh that made Emma smile. Will had always looked out for Emma and Killian when Liam wasn't able to, and she'd grown quite fond of him over the years. He'd taught her how to sword fight, and had gone out of his way to make sure the crew treated her with respect and civility- though that didn't mean she wasn't the butt of some jokes every now and then. Will taught her how to roll with the punches, and how to be as rough and tumble as any of the sailors. He was a good friend, but everyone knew no one could take the place of Killian in Emma's life, and vice versa.

"How do you feel about him training to be captain?" Will asked. Emma blinked, not completely registering the words at first. "I mean, it seems like the natural thing for him to do, of course- he comes from a long line of sailors- but I always assumed you and he would run off to have adventures of yours own first. I do vaguely remember you two planning out dragon battles and grand escapes from dungeons as kids. What happened to that?"

Emma had stopped listening. Captain? He'd never said anything about becoming a captain to her. Had he? She stood up, ignoring Will's calls after her, and marched down to Killian, who was chatting with another crew member. Without saying a word, she grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him with her into the first empty room she found, pretending not to hear his protests.

Angrily, she slammed the door closed behind them and turned to face him.

"What the hell, Emma?" His face was shadowed in the dim lighting, and she heard him fumble around for a gaslight.

"Captain?" She demanded, following him around the room. "You're going to become captain, and you didn't tell me? What, was it not important enough to tell your best friend?"

Killian froze, and Emma felt a brief sense of satisfaction. "Oh. That."

Pulling at her ponytail, she sighed. "That? Killian, what's going on? Just tell me." She said in a much calmer voice, though there was not masking the hurt she felt.

Silence filled the small gap between them, and she could feel him searching for words- for the right answer. "I just…" He sighed, starting over. "I figured that this was what came next in my life. When I turned eighteen, Liam told me I had to decide what I wanted to do with my life."

"And you chose this?" She asked, still uncomprehending.

He shook his head, and even in the darkness, his eyes still shone. "No, Emma. I chose you."

* * *

 

**You do not want to know how long it took me to get me to format this into a readable form on AO3 (it just kept pasting as a giant block of words- no paragraphs. Advice?). But the point is THESE TWO DORKS ARE SO IN LOVE!**

**Question: 100 degrees or 10? (We're talking Fahrenheit here because America.)**

**Byenow!**


End file.
